Hello Milo,

It was so fun to see you yesterday! I have enjoyed my visit to Minnesota, and I especially loved seeing you and your brother. I hope you had a fun time doing all the things you planned for the weekend.

When we were together, I forgot to tell you about an incredibly smelly adventure the dogs had just a little while ago. It was something Uncle Mike and I will never forget!

Early one morning, before the sun was even up, the pack decided they needed to go to the bathroom and asked to be let out. I was barely awake and looking forward to climbing back into bed and going back to sleep. All three of them were bouncing up and down at the door like they just couldn’t wait to get outside!

As soon as I opened the door, they ran full force outside and around the large tree. This isn’t unusual—they love playing outside. But as I went to close the sliding glass door, Roscoe and Taco were already coming back inside.

That’s weird, I thought. They hardly had enough time to go potty. And where was Mello?

Then I started to panic and look for her. This could only mean one thing!

When I spotted Mello, I could see her trying to play with something. My heart sank, and my eyes got as big as baseballs.

I saw it…

and then I SMELLED IT!

Oh my goodness, Milo—she was trying to play with a SKUNK!

The skunk was HUGE, and they were both so close to the house! I yelled for Mello to get inside, but it was too late.

Direct hit. Right to her head.

I didn’t even have to go upstairs and get Uncle Mike. He smelled it and came straight down to help clean her up!

This hilariously smelly moment reminds me that sometimes we can get into things we shouldn’t, too. And sometimes those things can leave us with a stinky heart.

Uncle Mike helped clean Mello up, and Jesus does something even better for us. When we go to Him and tell Him we’re sorry for getting into things we shouldn’t, He forgives us and cleans our hearts. He loves us too much to leave us stinky!

And we can learn from those times, too. Maybe next time we can be a little more like Roscoe and Taco—recognize trouble, turn around, and walk away before we get ourselves into a mess!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, bud! I’m sure Mello and the pack will have many more adventures before school starts. I’ll write again soon.

Love,
Miss Annie